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Abstract

The current study is focused on studying the effects of temperature and bifurcation angle
on pressure drop as well as heat transfer in micro-channels for two Newtonian fluids - water and
air. The microchannel of aspect ratio 1 and 1.5 with hydraulic diameters 500 microns and 600
microns were investigated for a fully developed laminar flow bifurcated after the flow reached its
hydrodynamic developed length with bifurcation angles of 30?,60?,90?,120? and 150?. Temperatures
of 318.15K, 333.15K, and 345.15K are induced on top surface of the microchannel for mentioned
bifurcated angles to analyze the effective angle at which the heat transfer was highest with minimal
pressure drop.
The branching of the microchannel was done after the flow has reached its
hydrodynamically developed length, which is calculated based on the hydraulic diameter [11] and
flow is thermally developing due to the wake effects at entrance region [29]. Accordingly, the test
section was modeled in Ansys, imposing constant temperature boundary condition on one face of
the ducts of varied aspect ratios. The 3-D simulations are performed in Ansys - Fluent software
with the laminar model and conditions of the steady state, considering fluids as incompressible
and irrotational.
The pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of the various configurations are
tabulated for examining and to draw comparisons. It is observed that both the heat transfer and
pressure drop increases with bifurcation angle. The relative bifurcation angle between two
symmetrically branched microchannels at which the pressure drop and heat transfer are optimum
is concluded.

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Thesis (M.S.)--Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering